Doepfer

Hi Doepfer Community,

just wanted to report from my experience being on stage
with my Doepfer A100 Mini System.

We performed at Pathos, Munich last Friday. The only 
instrument I took was the Doepfer.

It worked. 

The machine didn't let me down.

I'm now thinking of using it at MayDay and Love Parade
this year.

From that experience I will now open my Doepfer Module
chapter again and gear my doepfer towards a mobile
performance device.

Sound-wise, I have decided to leave the experimentation
corner and move towards the classic keyboard setup.

This means that I will be thinking about Polyphony,
what Keyboard to use with the Doepfer, and focus on
warm analog sounds I primarily access thru a (standard)
keyboard. So spend less time turning nobs, more time 
keeping the fingers on the keys.

From all the things you can do with the Doepfer system,
I'm therefore now looking into the "normal" synthesizer 
operating mode. 

As I have been tortured thru a classic piano education
in my youth, I feel comfortable expressing myself thru
the keyboard itself. What the Doepfer System gives me 
though, is an extremely fat and unprecedented warm sound. 
This is what I'm looking for. Less rhythm-oriented or
sound-design oriented patches or altenative user 
interfaces. User Interface is exactly the point here. The 
standard keyboard happens to be a really well-debugged
user interface I came to value again on stage, whilst
turning nobs is cool but gives me less overall 
expressiveness, that is, while being on stage.

I have managed, however, to play a pretty fast bass line 
with my left hand on the keyboard while slowly turning 
one nob with my right hand on my Doepfer system
on stage (took me a while to practise - accessing two 
different user interfaces [keyboard, nob] with each hand 
independently under stress conditions without any
loss of timing). 

I think this essentially means that I will keep a certain
patch going as-is and unchanged for a while, and try to 
patch all "configuration" of that sound into one or 
two nobs that are easily accessible on stage. What I
mean is: on stage its dark, or lights flash - and if my
Doepfer buries nobs under the cables from the patch,
it is *really* hard to get to the right nob fast - also while 
being only under half my brain capacity since my other 
hand keeps a groove going on the keyboard - so chances 
are high that you end up turning a different nob by mistake.

So I'm thinking of using blind plates next to that one 
module in my new setup that is patched to be safe to 
operate under live conditions.

Anyone with similar experiences and thoughts?

Cheers,

- Sebastian

Hi Sebastion

I'm a standard keyboard sort of person myself, and I like to use 
midi and the A191 for tweaking the patch, rather than turning knobs 
on the A100 modules. That way there isn't a lot of fuss about 
reaching through patch cables to manipulate small knobs while 
playing the keys at the same time.

I mostly use the joystick, velocity and pressure on my venerable Korg 
M1, along with a volume pedal. All of this stuffed can be patched 
to anything on the A100, but I tend to keep pb and ctrl 2 in their 
traditional roles for pitch bend and vibrato, use the pedal for 
filter cutoff, and ctrl 1 and pressure for more esoteric things 
like FM amount. Velocity is almost always patched to an A132 to 
control VCF envelope amount.

I used to have a small midi fader box on top of the keyboard also, but 
its now defunct. (I replaced it with a Regelwerk, but that's more for 
studio work).

The M1's audio outputs haven't been connected to anything for a long 
time, but I haven't found a good replacement keyboard yet. Maybe the 
Doepfer std kbd will eventually appear. I think that a Moog Voyager 
would be a wonderful keyboard controller for the A100, but expensive.

Glad your gig at Pathos went well. Did you record it? If so, we'd love 
to hear some of it.

Joe

--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com, "Sebastian Schnitzenbaumer" 
<schnitz@m...> wrote:

> Hi Doepfer Community,
> 
> just wanted to report from my experience being on stage
> with my Doepfer A100 Mini System.
> 
> We performed at Pathos, Munich last Friday. The only 
> instrument I took was the Doepfer.
> 
> It worked. 
> 
> The machine didn't let me down.
> 
> I'm now thinking of using it at MayDay and Love Parade
> this year.
> 
> From that experience I will now open my Doepfer Module
> chapter again and gear my doepfer towards a mobile
> performance device.
> 
> Sound-wise, I have decided to leave the experimentation
> corner and move towards the classic keyboard setup.
> 
> This means that I will be thinking about Polyphony,
> what Keyboard to use with the Doepfer, and focus on
> warm analog sounds I primarily access thru a (standard)
> keyboard. So spend less time turning nobs, more time 
> keeping the fingers on the keys.
> 
> From all the things you can do with the Doepfer system,
> I'm therefore now looking into the "normal" synthesizer 
> operating mode. 
> 
> As I have been tortured thru a classic piano education
> in my youth, I feel comfortable expressing myself thru
> the keyboard itself. What the Doepfer System gives me 
> though, is an extremely fat and unprecedented warm sound. 
> This is what I'm looking for. Less rhythm-oriented or
> sound-design oriented patches or altenative user 
> interfaces. User Interface is exactly the point here. The 
> standard keyboard happens to be a really well-debugged
> user interface I came to value again on stage, whilst
> turning nobs is cool but gives me less overall 
> expressiveness, that is, while being on stage.
> 
> I have managed, however, to play a pretty fast bass line 
> with my left hand on the keyboard while slowly turning 
> one nob with my right hand on my Doepfer system
> on stage (took me a while to practise - accessing two 
> different user interfaces [keyboard, nob] with each hand 
> independently under stress conditions without any
> loss of timing). 
> 
> I think this essentially means that I will keep a certain
> patch going as-is and unchanged for a while, and try to 
> patch all "configuration" of that sound into one or 
> two nobs that are easily accessible on stage. What I
> mean is: on stage its dark, or lights flash - and if my
> Doepfer buries nobs under the cables from the patch,
> it is *really* hard to get to the right nob fast - also while 
> being only under half my brain capacity since my other 
> hand keeps a groove going on the keyboard - so chances 
> are high that you end up turning a different nob by mistake.
> 
> So I'm thinking of using blind plates next to that one 
> module in my new setup that is patched to be safe to 
> operate under live conditions.
> 
> Anyone with similar experiences and thoughts?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> - Sebastian

> > 
> > I think this essentially means that I will keep a certain
> > patch going as-is and unchanged for a while, and try to 
> > patch all "configuration" of that sound into one or 
> > two nobs that are easily accessible on stage. What I
> > mean is: on stage its dark, or lights flash - and if my
> > Doepfer buries nobs under the cables from the patch,
> > it is *really* hard to get to the right nob fast - also while 
> > being only under half my brain capacity since my other 
> > hand keeps a groove going on the keyboard - so chances 
> > are high that you end up turning a different nob by mistake.
> > 
> > So I'm thinking of using blind plates next to that one 
> > module in my new setup that is patched to be safe to 
> > operate under live conditions.
> > 


sebastian,
thanks for your report...and congratulations on succeeding!   i tried a similar 
thing last fall in prep for a european tour but chickened out on using the 
doepfer live just a few days before heading to the airport.  my problem was i 
needed to access too many different sounds, not enough time for repatching 
during/in between songs, and as rehearsals became very stressful, i realized i 
was biting off more than i could chew.   in the process though, one of the most 
used controllers for me in trying to get it together was the a177 foot controller 
interface, using CV pedals instead of knobs is a great solution for modulating 
a parameter while you play.

in the end, i wound up recreating my doepfer patches w reaktor and nord lead 
instead.  not the same but close enough for govt work.  it all went well but 
looking fwd to a another chance to get the doepfer up on stage yet.

-psm

Hi Sebastian,

congratulations to your gig.
Unlike you I never had piano lessons, so I´m probably the wackest 
keyboarder on earth ;-) That´s why I still I love to play my Juno-60 
only with the arpeggiator running ...just pushing faders and making 
sound. So if I had an analog sequencer in the Doepfer, I´ll probably use 
the keyboard just for transposition.
I never played the modular live so far, but the idea of using mostly 
alternative controllers on stage fascinates me, so my next purchase will 
be the A-198. I like the idea of playing it like a solo instrument. That 
"Keith Emerson freakin´out on the ribbon controller"-style, you know ;-)

By the way: The keyboarder of a 60s-Surf-Rock´n´Roll-band asked me 
recently if I´d like to play the modular on one of their gigs (just for 
a few songs). Now this must be fun! If this will happen, I´ll let you know.

best,
Paul


PS: I can reccomend the idea of using blind plates next to useful 
modules used a lot. I have a 2HP blind plate sitting to the right of my 
filter, so I have more space for my hand when turning the pots.

Hi Sebastian,
Congratulations with the gig..Love Parade and Mayday?? very nice!!

well, all I can say is you are a brave man!
I don't use my doepfer onstage for 2 reasons, too much of a pain to 
re-patch every song and I just couldn't let it leave my studio as I 
love it too much to risk any damage to it!!

I try to use my nord modular for stage work but sounds are very 
important to my music so prefer to sample the doepfer than use a 
thinner sound.
I'm very interested in using controllers to help with the doepfer 
live, the as patch matrix could help a lot.

Does anyone know if you can solder a cable which would allow you to 
use an old joystick (atari years), a mouse or something plugged into 
the foot controller module?
I saw a pic on synthesizers.com website where they did, anyone tried 
it with the doepfer module?


Thanks
John.





--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com, "Sebastian Schnitzenbaumer" 
<schnitz@m...> wrote:

> Hi Doepfer Community,
> 
> just wanted to report from my experience being on stage
> with my Doepfer A100 Mini System.
> 
> We performed at Pathos, Munich last Friday. The only 
> instrument I took was the Doepfer.
> 
> It worked. 
> 
> The machine didn't let me down.
> 
> I'm now thinking of using it at MayDay and Love Parade
> this year.
> 
> From that experience I will now open my Doepfer Module
> chapter again and gear my doepfer towards a mobile
> performance device.
> 
> Sound-wise, I have decided to leave the experimentation
> corner and move towards the classic keyboard setup.
> 
> This means that I will be thinking about Polyphony,
> what Keyboard to use with the Doepfer, and focus on
> warm analog sounds I primarily access thru a (standard)
> keyboard. So spend less time turning nobs, more time 
> keeping the fingers on the keys.
> 
> From all the things you can do with the Doepfer system,
> I'm therefore now looking into the "normal" synthesizer 
> operating mode. 
> 
> As I have been tortured thru a classic piano education
> in my youth, I feel comfortable expressing myself thru
> the keyboard itself. What the Doepfer System gives me 
> though, is an extremely fat and unprecedented warm sound. 
> This is what I'm looking for. Less rhythm-oriented or
> sound-design oriented patches or altenative user 
> interfaces. User Interface is exactly the point here. The 
> standard keyboard happens to be a really well-debugged
> user interface I came to value again on stage, whilst
> turning nobs is cool but gives me less overall 
> expressiveness, that is, while being on stage.
> 
> I have managed, however, to play a pretty fast bass line 
> with my left hand on the keyboard while slowly turning 
> one nob with my right hand on my Doepfer system
> on stage (took me a while to practise - accessing two 
> different user interfaces [keyboard, nob] with each hand 
> independently under stress conditions without any
> loss of timing). 
> 
> I think this essentially means that I will keep a certain
> patch going as-is and unchanged for a while, and try to 
> patch all "configuration" of that sound into one or 
> two nobs that are easily accessible on stage. What I
> mean is: on stage its dark, or lights flash - and if my
> Doepfer buries nobs under the cables from the patch,
> it is *really* hard to get to the right nob fast - also while 
> being only under half my brain capacity since my other 
> hand keeps a groove going on the keyboard - so chances 
> are high that you end up turning a different nob by mistake.
> 
> So I'm thinking of using blind plates next to that one 
> module in my new setup that is patched to be safe to 
> operate under live conditions.
> 
> Anyone with similar experiences and thoughts?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> - Sebastian

> Does anyone know if you can solder a cable which would allow you to 
> use an old joystick (atari years), a mouse or something plugged 
into 
> the foot controller module?
> I saw a pic on synthesizers.com website where they did, anyone 
tried 
> it with the doepfer module?

As far as I know the atari type joysticks were usually digitally 
switched, i.e. you'd need circuitry to get an analog output. The 
acorn BBC used an analog joystick. As this used passive pots it could 
conceivably be used for the foot switch and no circuitry required 
except for perhaps some resistors for the offset.

I gave mine away just a few months ago :-( so I can't check.

this is very funny guys
cos it seem that to use a100 on stage is quite unusual
I bout my system to play live and next day I bough it I used it on stage.
I use no keyboard and will never do.
Only patchcords, knobs and some of wolume pedal.
Already I played tens of gigs using A100 alon or in combination with guitar.
This is great performance instrument.

If you interst in techno, rythm or ambient music it is not to usefull
for you but if you look for something else
chek music of Kevin Drumm - one of best know A100 player and guitarist
in world of new electronic/noise music

best
robert


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

if some of you happens to be in stockholm on monday there will be a concert
at 12.00 CET in Hörsalen, Kulturhuset where i´m going to play on my a100...
welcome.
/mattias

> this is very funny guys
> cos it seem that to use a100 on stage is quite unusual
> I bout my system to play live and next day I bough it I used it on stage.
> I use no keyboard and will never do.
> Only patchcords, knobs and some of wolume pedal.
> Already I played tens of gigs using A100 alon or in combination with guitar.
> This is great performance instrument.
> 
> If you interst in techno, rythm or ambient music it is not to usefull
> for you but if you look for something else
> chek music of Kevin Drumm - one of best know A100 player and guitarist
> in world of new electronic/noise music
> 
> best
> robert
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
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